The Twitter craze
It’s fun, but is it useful?

Twitter, the online social networking site that has exploded in popularity in recent years, has sparked debate on the usefulness of the site as well as raised questions about what and how we communicate.

In regard to how we communicate, Twitter actually has a built-in answer: succinctly.  “Tweets” are limited to 140 characters, forcing users to convey their thoughts in bite-sized correspondence.

The “what” question is a little trickier.

Communication is not difficult. It’s simply conveying a thought, want or desire to another. If your friend is standing next to an apple, and you would like that apple, you don’t need to say “My friend, would you be so kind as to reach next to you, pick up that apple and walk it over to me so I may eat it.”

You could simply grunt to get his or her attention, point at the apple then point at yourself to get the same point across.

And even though Twitter allows users to convey a thought instantly to hundreds, even thousands of people across the globe, you’re probably not going to use it to ask your friend for that apple.

Much like the telephone, the importance of the invention is not found in its mundane use, but in the impact of more extreme cases. A phone conversation between friends as they watch the latest episode of Oprah, the world could probably do with out. But the thousands of 911 calls received a day are a different story.

No, nobody needs to know that the childhood friend they haven’t seen in 20 years is having meatloaf for dinner, but as the recent protests in Iran following the nation’s presidential election have show, Twitter does have an important function: conveying information instantly to hundreds or thousands of people.

Whether it is Iranian protesters tweeting on abuses that the tightly-controlled media may not have reported on, or more mundane tasks like tweeting your new phone number to friends and family, Twitter – as well as other online networking sites like Facebook – has a function and is changing the way in which we communicate.

Do you “tweet”?  What are some of the useful or not-so-useful way to use the site?

Quick healthy breakfasts 

We’ve all heard it for years, and it’s true—breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Think about it, you literally break a fast from last night’s dinner, fueling your body for your day ahead.

Many people, especially dieters, skip breakfast to lose weight, when in fact, a more sensible strategy would be to skip dessert or late-night snacks. Others miss breakfast because they're just too busy. Unfortunately, this can set us up to grab anything and everything when hunger kicks in. We need to begin our day right and spend time eating a healthy breakfast, even if it means a little planning.

Most of us are trying to eat healthier—before, during and after work. Breakfast is often overlooked because it's easy to just buy an oversized muffin or pastry on-the-go. While convenient, these choices aren’t always the best since they both usually contain high levels of sugar.

Your healthy breakfast can be cold and even taken to go or eaten at work at your desk—fixing a hot breakfast isn’t necessary to make it healthy. Easy, healthy breakfasts can be as simple as the common breakfast. Try energy or cereal bars as well as healthy cereals. If you get to work using public transportation, you really don’t have an excuse for skipping your first meal. Bring your breakfast with you on the morning commute.

Remember to keep sliced cheese and meat on hand at home. Even though they might not seem like a typical breakfast food, they are great ways to fuel your body in the morning. Look for yogurt in convenient tubes or single-serving containers. Try topping them with fresh nuts for added protein.

Check out the produce aisle at the grocery store and you’ll find all kinds of healthy fruit that can be cut into slices and placed into containers or plastic zip bags. Try dried fruit such as raisins, bananas or cranberries as your healthy choice—they’ve been used for centuries. Bread is also a good addition to your brown-bag breakfast.

So start your own trend with these healthy alternatives to breakfast "junk food"—your body will love you for it!  

Eco-Friendly Holiday

The focus on saving sustainable resources continues to grow, and more people are working to find different ways of becoming more efficient in their day-to-day lives. As we venture into the fall, it’s time to think about how we can apply our “green” techniques to the holiday season.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produce 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Years Day than we do the rest of the year. There are several things you can do to help reduce this trend.

Holiday Cards – When looking for holiday cards, look for 100% recycled or tree-free paper. Although many people will opt to mail cards to their close family and friends, consider sending e-cards co-workers and friends who are computer savvy.

Shopping – During the busy holiday shopping season, use reusable cloth shopping bags. Not only are they more durable and easier to hold, but they can continue to be used all year round. Also, try car pooling to the shopping centers. If you decide to buy online, try making one large purchase rather than multiple small purchases that will require more packaging materials to ship.

Gift Wrap – When using gift wrap, avoid using excessive amounts of tape, and try using reusable bows and ribbon. As the holiday festivities unravel, rather than crumbling up all that used gift wrap, see what can be salvaged. If it’s in good condition, see if it can be reused again next year. If it’s too crinkled, remember to recycled it! When purchasing gift wrap, consider that foil- and plastic-coated wrapping cannot be recycled.

Packaging Gifts – When buying gifts, consider the gift’s destination. If it needs to be mailed, see if you can avoid purchasing larger items that require an excessive amount of packaging. For gifts that do need to be packaged, use old newspaper or magazine pages, plain popped popcorn, or old brown paper bags. For gifting fresh baked goods, use reusable tins. If you received a gift that used Styrofoam peanuts, donate it to your local post office.

Decorations – If you’re going to use lights to decorate, use LED lights that are up to 90% more efficient than traditional lights. When possible, scale back on decorations that require electricity. If you do have some electric decorations, then be sure to unplug them before going to bed at night to save energy. If you decorate with a tree, bring your used tree to a designated recycling center in your area so it can be cut up into wood chips. Also, considering using nature to decorate – pinecones, acorns and leaves can all add a festive decorative touch.

How likely are you to have an eco-friendly holiday this year?  What else can you do to stay “green” this season?

Nordie’s at Noon: the personal stories of 4 women “too young” for breast cancer
By Patti Balwanz, Kim Carlos, Jennifer Johnson, Jana Peters 

Nordie’s at Noon is a collection of stories from four women who share not only friendship, but a common diagnosis of breast cancer. The group started with two friends, Patti and Jana, who met during their visits to the same oncologist for chemotherapy treatment. Jana’s friend Jennifer is the third to join the group. The foursome is completed with the addition of Kim – Patti’s college friend. The group meets monthly at Nordstrom’s café to share their stories.

What may come as a surprise to some readers is the young age of each of these women at the time of their diagnoses. Patti, Jennifer and Jana were diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, and Kim was only 30 years old. All four women found a lump in their breast during routine self exams; Jennifer was pregnant when she made the discovery.

Patti, Jana, Jennifer and Kim share their personal experiences; They discuss everything from the discovery and treatment of their cancer as well as other milestones in life such as marriage and children. When Jana began chemotherapy, she calculated that she would be married just one month after her final treatment. Jennifer’s son was born just following her last chemotherapy session. She remembers losing all of her hair during her treatment, but her son arrives with a full head of hair – a welcome sign that he had not been affected by the medication.

Nordie’s at Noon is a heartwarming collection of personal stories from four women. Their accounts celebrate life but also educate readers on the importance of breast self exams. The book also contains a glossary and list of breast cancer resources as a guide to learn more. Part of the proceeds from the sale of each book goes to various non-profit breast cancer organizations. For more information, visit http://www.nordiesatnoon.com/.  

OpenOffice.org

Open source is a broad term for software licensing that allows a computer program to be distributed and used for no charge. 

OpenOffice.org is probably the most well-known open-source program.  Designed as an alternative to Microsoft Office, it is a multi-platform office productivity suite that is compatible with many systems, including the latest Microsoft and Mac operating systems, Linux, and Solaris.

Programs available from OpenOffice.org include Writer (a word processing program), Calc (a spreadsheet program similar to Excel) and Impress, and a presentation program (similar to PowerPoint). While these programs offer the benefits of Microsoft-like programs for no cost, perhaps the biggest plus is that this program can open Microsoft files and can be opened by Microsoft programs. This allows people to use OpenOffice.org and not be shut out of a business world dominated by Microsoft Office.

OpenOffice.org is derived from StarOffice, an office suite developed by Sun Microsystems, and is commonly referred to as OpenOffice. This program was released under an open-source license in October 2000 and does not allow users to alter the program’s code. Since then, releases have alternated between “feature” releases and “bug fix” releases. The next, version 3.2, will be a feature release and is scheduled for November 2009. It will include, among new features, a major overhaul of Impress.

To learn more about OpenOffice.org and to download the program, go to www.Openoffice.org.

Inexpensive Home Security

With reports that the economic downturn sparked an increase in crime, more and more people are taking steps to make their homes more secure. Although criminals probably won’t target most of us, like Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Costing only about $20 each, motion detectors are easy to install and effectively sense movement or even sounds within 40 feet; some are even designed to ignore pets and other small animals.

Magnetic window and door contacts cost just a few dollars each and are also easy to install. When the magnetic contact is breached, it communicates (often wirelessly) with your security system, setting off the alarm and/or contacting the police.

Interested in a security system? It might be less expensive than you think. For around $120, you can get a basic system that includes a keypad with user codes, a siren, event-initiated paging and even a backup battery. These systems are often immune to pets weighing under 85lbs.

If you’re interested in video surveillance, you can often connect video cameras to the DVR of your personal computer using cables or your existing wireless network. Bullet-style, color and day-and-night infrared cameras with brackets start at about $80 each. Complete, self-contained video-surveillance systems start around $1,500 and usually include a DVR with auto-detecting video signal loss and HDD failure, several cameras with wall mounts, a monitor, software, and cables.

There is also a plethora of secret-agent style gadgets available for around $100, including cameras built into working pens, smoke detectors or peepholes. For under $200, you can even buy a fingerprint/biometric door lock that unlocks when an authorized user places his or her finger on the pad.

How do you keep your home or office secure?

Compost heaps
The best way to get started

Composting is not only good for your garden, it also takes a small burden off the environment. With compost you turn waste into rich nutrients and return them to the earth and your plants, relieving your local landfill. It’s also a more fun, interactive approach to the life cycle of trash. Here’s a guide to making a compost pile in your own yard:

Select a spot

Make sure it’s convenient for you and your neighbors – nothing intrusive or unsightly for them. Put the pile directly on the earth so nutrients and insects can naturally cycle up and down through the pile. The ground should also be level and well drained. You might even want to build a small enclosure to secure the pile from wind and to hide it from view. Or you can purchase a special compost bin if you’re serious about your compost.

Make compost

Many organic materials are compostable, from leaves to newspaper. According to composting Web site compostguide.com, “The pile needs a proper ratio of carbon-rich materials, or ‘browns,’ and nitrogen-rich materials, or ‘greens.’ Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw, and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps.” The rate of decomposition depends on the ratio of browns to greens. It can take some time and trial and error to perfect, but the Guide says you’ll need roughly 25 parts browns to 1 part greens. If you want usable compost this season, you’ll have to put some work into it. This involves chopping and shredding materials into smaller pieces that will decompose quicker, turning the pile to circulate oxygen, and knowing which materials make a perfect balance. A more passive approach to composting – waiting for materials to decompose on their own – could take up to two years to produce usable compost.

Use it

Compost is ready to use in your garden when it is dark brown and when most materials have been completely broken down. This finished compost comes from the bottom of the pile. Depending on how nutrient poor your soil is, you can either use the compost as a top layer, or work it into the soil. Either way, the compost will allow your soil to better hold water, air, and nutrients, and will make your plants healthier.

There’s more to composting than what’s mentioned in this article.  For a more in-depth guide and a list of compostable materials, visit www.compostguide.com.

Food Additives
What does the latest research say about them?

Food manufacturers add a multitude of food additives to their pre-packaged foods, and some fear that they could potentially be harmful. Since many people are concerned about the affects of these additives, WebMD.com featured the article “The Truth About 7 Common Food Additives” by Martin Downs. See what the latest research says on several common food additives: 

Artificial Coloring

They are used in foods, drinks and condiments to make products look more appealing, but do not change the actual flavor of the product. Although they have been suspected to cause hyperactivity in kids and thought to worsen asthma symptoms, the results from over 30 years of studies are mixed. The FDA still considers artificial food colorings to be safe when used properly.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

This sweetener is made from corn and is found in various sweets, processed foods and non-diet soda. Although some expects suspected that people metabolized high fructose corn syrup in a way that raises their risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity, others claim it’s “just sugar.” Too much of any sugar is not healthy, so limit your overall sugar intake.

Aspartame

Commonly used in various diet products, this artificial sweetener has raised many health concerns. Although several studies claim that use of this sweetener has been linked to everything from headaches to cancer, other studies have disproved these claims.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Used as a flavor enhancer, this commonly used additive is found in Chinese food, frozen dinners, packaged soups and salty snack foods. Although there have been contradicting reports as to whether people may be sensitive to MSG, if you have adverse reactions, you should avoid foods containing MSG.

Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)

They are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil and added during the manufacturing process. They are commonly found in deep-fried foods and baked goods. Since trans fats have been proven to lower people’s good cholesterol (HDI) and raise bad cholesterol (LDL), The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1% of your daily calories from trans fats. 

For more information on other common food additives, visit WebMd.com.

Stay-cations

How to be a tourist in your home town

When taking a trip out-of-town is out of the question, consider taking a stay-cation! Stay-cations are just like vacations, but they let you stay close to home. Not only is a stay-cation a great way to enjoy the fun things to do in your own neighborhood, it’s also a great way to save money, too.

Before you start your stay-cation, though, make sure you plan to treat it like a real vacation. Set specific days aside just as you would for a vacation away from home. Resist calling your office, checking e-mail or listening to voicemail messages. Get as many household chores done before your stay-cation, too. Your stay-cation should be all about relaxing and enjoying your time away from your normal schedule.

Got some ideas for fun things to do? Great! For other ideas, try one of these:

• Visit local farmers markets or orchards. Take advantage of the fresh seasonal produce they have to offer.
  
• Check out your local library. Catch up on some reading or see what programs the library has to offer.
  
• Take a tour of a museum, zoo, amusement park, or historic site.
  
• Go to a local sporting event, or plan a day of games at the park and bring a picnic lunch.
  
• Relax by a pool – yours, a neighbor’s, or a community pool. Don’t let storms get in the way of swimming - visit an indoor water park! 
  
• Plan a block party, cocktail party or BBQ with your neighbors.
  
• Rent movies or see a matinee – every day!
  
• Try a meal at a new restaurant. Make sure you order an appetizer and a dessert, too!
  
• Hire a maid to clean your house while you lounge.
  
• Plan a mini trip. Stay at a hotel overnight and take advantage of room service.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you enjoy it to the fullest.  It’s a vacation!  What are some stay-cation ideas you have?

These days, it seems like there is always a 3D movie option at your theater. While it might seem like a recent technological advancement, 3D movies have been around since the early twentieth century! The earliest 3D film shown to a paying audience was 1922’s The Power of Love. Other classics starred major actors such as John Wayne in Hondo and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in Money from Home. As the trend grew, Casper the Friendly Ghost and Popeye the Sailor were re-formatted in 3D for children’s enjoyment as well. 

3D involves filming 2 images simultaneously with 2 cameras positioned side by side, facing each other and filming at a 90° angle via mirrors. Human eyes interpret the pair of images as a single 3-dimensional image. Today’s computer technology reproduces pseudo-3D films using CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) and without the need for dual cameras.

The flux and popularity of CGI movies has made 3D films even more popular – and lucrative. Current 3D films offer dynamic productions and generate large box-office revenues.

2003’s Spy Kids 3D: Game Over brought 3D movies back and cash registers continued to ring with 2004’s Polar Express – IMAX’s first full-length, animated 3D feature.

Miley Cyrus even joined in the fun. Her 2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert video, presented in Disney Digital 3D, has grossed more than $65 million so far. Also, the band U2 produced U23D, the first live-action movie to be totally shot in digital 3D.

Look out for more 3D films in the future – they’re sure to land in your local theaters soon.

The commuter rant 
Getting revved up on the road

The title of this piece promises a rant, but I’m going to try and keep an even temper.

The reason? I’m not currently in my car and I’m actually able to keep an even temper. I commute two hours each day in my car, and I don’t like what it does to my personality. So, I try to be as good a person as possible while I’m not driving to make up for it. Later today I’m going to groom puppies at a soup kitchen.

But back to the “rant.” Anyone who drives to work has a list of the top driving sins that other motorists inflict upon them. What are mine? I’m glad you asked:

Using the turn signal to squeeze into the fast lane

No one needs to merge left on the highway the way they would need to merge right to exit. People merge left because they want to go faster, and this is certainly understandable. But what gets me is when someone in the middle lane puts their left turn signal on and expects a car in the left lane to slow down so they can merge in front of them. The left lane is a privilege, not a right. If there is no immediate opening, wait until there is one. 

Fast drivers/slow drivers

If you’re going 55mph in the fast lane, you’re driving too slow and holding up traffic. If you’re weaving in and out of traffic at 80mph, then you’re going to fast and endangering those around you. So, please hear my plea: if you prefer to drive slower, stay in the right lane. If you like weaving through traffic, find a sponsor and join the NASCAR circuit.

Traffic on the highway

Okay, everyone hates highway traffic, but aside from accidents, how does traffic ever come to a complete stop? There are no stop lights or stop signs. Shouldn’t traffic keep moving at reduced speeds? Yes, there are people merging onto the highway, but there are also people exiting the highway. I’m sure there is an explanation, I just can’t figure out what it is. If anyone knows or has any theories, please speak up!

Disagree with me or have some of your own pet peeves regarding your work commute? Feel free to share.

Yard Decorations
Know when to say when 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is probably why some yards look beautiful and others look like a yard sale.

A beautifully landscaped lawn takes careful planning. You wouldn't build a house without blueprints, so why would you build your outdoor living space without a plan? As you plan, keep the style and location of your home in mind, and pick a complementing theme. A yard filled with white Greco-Roman statues, for instance, would look out of place in a modern suburban neighborhood.

If you think your yard looks empty, don't just fill the spaces with lawn ornaments. Instead, consider adding a plant. Even if you don't have a green thumb, there are plenty of low-maintenance plants that would look lovely.

For the most part, your yard decorations should blend in with existing plants. Your decorations should be small accents, not the main event. Tuck lawn gnomes and such into places where they look natural, and for the most part, get decorations that have colors you would find in nature.

If you love the plastic pink flamingos, go ahead and get yourself a pair – they add a fun quirkiness to your yard. But just because wild flamingos travel in large flocks doesn't mean that yours have to. Your neighbors will enjoy them more if they're used sparingly as opposed to an army of birds that they might feel inclined to protect themselves against.

Not sure if you have too many yard decorations? If any of the following can be used to describe your yard, you should probably consider eliminating some of the items displayed on your property.

• Your decorations outnumber the plants
  
• You have trouble or are unable to mow the lawn
  
• People approach you wondering if everything is for sale
  
• Yard decorations are less than 4 feet apart from each other (excluding groupings that need to be close together)
  
• You or someone has tripped over one of your yard decorations

Wireless Mice

Wireless mice are nice!

They’re sleek and stylish, fast and precise…and they’ll help “clean up” your work area by eliminating that old fashioned mouse cord that always seems to get tangled up in one thing or another. With their
3-6’ operating range, they’ll also give you additional freedom to reposition your computer exactly where you want on your desk!

There are two different kinds of wireless mice – optical and laser. Both types work great, but laser models do operate faster. Optical and laser models both rely on batteries, so make sure you consider battery life when making your selection (some models feature rechargeable batteries with their own recharging stand – you’ll pay a bit more for these rechargeable types of wireless mice in the beginning, but they could prove cost efficient in the long run).

For some, choosing the right wireless mouse isn’t so much a matter of performance…it’s a matter of style. Like the look of metallic black? Take a look at this Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 with 5 customizable buttons and tilt wheel technology that lets you scroll 4 different ways. Prefer the sleek styling of silver? The Microsoft 5000 comes in that color, too!

If performance is a key element in your buying decision, take a look at the Logitech MX 620 cordless laser mouse.  It features a hyper-fast scroll wheel that lets you literally fly through long documents (scroll through 10,000 lines in just 7 seconds) and also features an on-off button that lets you prolong the battery life.

In-House Marketing

Your marketing budget is tight...and getting tighter. You still need to reach your customers, of course, but you now need to find a way to do it for a whole lot less.

If the above describes the challenge your office is currently facing, try creating and printing the marketing materials your office needs yourself! The benefits are many:

• You’ll save money—no outside agencies to deal with and no high priced designers and writers to pay

• You’re in control—no one know your organization better than you, so who better to write and design than yourself? It’s like the old saying goes—if you want something done right, do it yourself!

• You’ll gain added flexibility—print only the material you need, exactly when you need it! If something needs to change or be updated, you can do it in seconds without having to waste a bunch of previously printed pieces.

Of course, to create and produce the marketing material you need, you’ll need the right equipment. There are two excellent options you should to consider: multifunction machines or a high speed color laser printer.

Multifunction machines or laser printers-- what machine should I buy?

The answer, of course, depends upon what exactly you need to do to create your own marketing material. If you’re starting from “scratch”, we’d suggest multifunction machines like the Brother MFC-6490CW or the HP Officejet Pro OJ8500W because they let you scan in pictures and produce high quality printouts. If you already have your materials created and just need to make small updates to charts and text, then a color laser printer like the Lexmark C543DN would be an ideal choice with its fast 21 ppm output and sharp 1200x1200dpi resolution.

Crocs – Yes or No? 

Imagine this scenario: It's a Sunday afternoon and you're just coming in from gardening, wearing your Crocs. You decide to quickly run to the grocery store. Do you change your shoes or leave on your Crocs? I mean, they're just so easy to wear and super comfortable…and it'll only be a few minutes.

No! The answer is no. You remove the Crocs and put on any other shoe. Flip flops? Awesome. UGG boots? Yes, great. Jelly shoes? Okay, sure. But the Crocs should stay in the privacy of your home.

Let me tell you a little something about America's beloved Crocs shoes. They are boating shoes that were made to be worn outdoors and on boats. Then, I don't know, one day some boater went into Macy's after a sweaty day at sea to buy a pair of Dockers, and every woman dropped her giant sunglasses and exclaimed, "What are those things on your feet?  I must have them!" I think that's how it happened.

Crocs are everywhere and on everyone. People now wear them to errands and parties, make their kids wear them, and even wear them to the gym and work.  People, that is too far! Yes, I understand Crocs shoes are comfortable and light – like walking on rubber clouds, maybe. And, okay, maybe if you are a nurse – especially a nurse on a boat – and spend hours every day on your feet, I can admit that Crocs might be more comfortable… but enough is enough.

What started as a simple awkward-looking rubber clog has somehow morphed into a whole line of Crocs footwear. There are Crocs for every occasion – sandal Crocs, boot Crocs and even high-heeled Crocs. What? I wasn't aware we needed high-heeled Crocs. My mistake.

There's no stopping it now, of course – the Crocs have already been made and sold. But we can try to avoid future Crocs-like fads by keeping the occasion-specific footwear occasion specific. So, let's keep the snowshoes in the snow.